We are looking forward to welcoming you to New Haven in the morning. Please look out for a Yale Rugby Banner outside the Building on the main road -

Parking

There is parking outside the surrounding areas of the Yale Architecture Building, 180 York Street (you will need to pay). However, there is free parking in the carpark behind the Payne Whitney Gym, 70 Tower P'way, New Haven, 06511. Please allow for an 11min walking commute.

Start Time

The workshop will begin at 10.00am sharp so allow time for parking / walking etc.

Coffee / Tea

There is a Willoughby's located right next to the building.

Lunch

Lunch will be provided - We will be serving subs from Zoe's restaurant.

Yale RFC headed into today’s game against Harvard off the back of two tough losses against Brown and Dartmouth. We knew this was an all-or-nothing affair and put in our hardest week of training of the semester in preparation. After a tough two-point loss in the Malcom Cormack Cup last year (named after the famous ex-Yale head Coach) we faced Harvard away with a spot in the Ivy League Playoffs Semi-finals and the Cup title at stake. We arrived focused on the challenge ahead and warmed up in torrential rain and 37mph winds. Starting the first half against the wind, we traded half-a-dozen kicks and staved off 10 minutes of constant attack from Harvard. After forcing them deep into their own half it only took a few hard run phases for Captain Joe Goode ‘19 to nip around the ruck and score our first try of the game. Shortly after Ian Reid ‘19 scored the first of his three tries with Daniel Marsh ‘21’s conversion making it 12-0 to Yale. Before the half Reid put in another two and Bojan Dosljak trucked through the defence to make it 31-0. In the second half Harvard brought the fight but Yale saw them off for a well earned 31-15 win. The team will face Dartmouth away November 3rd @1PM in the semi-finals.

The Yale rugby team battled with Brown head-on in a pair of games during Family Weekend only to have its previous Ivy League winning streak broken by two losses to the Bears.

The Elis were poised to win entering the weekend after their stunning conference victories over Cornell and Columbia the past two weekends. The team swept the floor with Cornell, boasting a 77-point difference, and achieved a 67-point win over Columbia, but its victorious streak was cut short as the Bears chewed up the Bulldogs. Despite its valiant effort, Yale’s two games ended unfavorably with scores of 32–12 in the first XV and 17–7 in the Development XV.

“Our defense was especially strong,” Alex O’Neill ’20 said. “We forced them to kick the ball a lot, but unfortunately … there were a couple times where we missed some crucial passes, or made some bad decisions when it came to penalties and things like that. … We gave Brown a couple of opportunities that they capitalized on. But for the most part, we put in a good effort.”

Midway through the first half of the opening game Brown secured three points over Yale’s nil, with the Bears’ score edging up to five while the Yalies scored their first three points thanks to Mahlon Sorensen ’22. The first game, having reached halftime with a score of 8–5 Brown, still ended in defeat for the Elis even after player and photo editor for the News Lucas Holter ’21 added another seven points to the Bulldogs’ score.

The Development XV ended with a smaller gap between the Elis and the Bears, but with a final 10-point difference nonetheless. The game was particularly dicey during the first half, which ended at 17–0 in Brown’s favor, but captain Khaleel Rajwani ’20 scored to put the Elis on the scoreboard with a respectable seven points.

Though both games ended in losses, the team is optimistic about its future performances.

“We are excited to see what the team can achieve in the second half of the season after working so hard during our preseason and leading the conference after the first two games,” Holter said. “Coming into the game against Brown, we knew we would be facing an experienced and skilled side,” Holter added as he noted Brown’s 2018 victory in the Ivy Rugby 7’s Tournament.

Yale club rugby, established in 1875, last made its way to nationals in 1999. Team alumni include former U.S. President George W. Bush ’68 and Mark Nemec ’91, president of Fairfield University. The team’s titles include the 2004 Beast of the East Northeast Division I Champions and the 2005 New England Division II Champions.

After Saturday’s matches the Elis are preparing for their next home tournament against Dartmouth on Oct. 13, followed by a match against Harvard for the away semifinals on Oct. 27. The finals will be held on Nov. 10.

I’m looking forward to play[ing] Harvard and Dartmouth because I know that our team is going to improve exponentially after our defeat,” Lucas Wiseman ’22 said. “Dartmouth is going to be our biggest challenge yet, so we have to give it all we’ve got.”

This year marks the 49th anniversary of the Ivy League Rugby Championship Tournament since its inception in 1969.

Yale 1st XV 67-0 Columbia

The men’s first team earned an impressive victory in their Ivy League home opener on Saturday, defeating a physical Columbia side 67-0. Columbia played well from the start and kept the game close leading into the second half. Their scrappy defense and hard runs forced the Bulldogs to sharpen their offensive shape and pillar defense as the game went on. Ultimately, the Yale defense held strong and kept the Lions from scoring. In all, it was an instructive and hard-fought victory for Yale. The Bulldogs will take on a strong Brown side at home next Saturday.

Yale Development 38-10 Columbia

Captian Khaleel Rajwani led the Yale Development Side 10s to a strong kick-off against the Columbia side. Freshman Center Boris Epie opened the scoring with his first ever try for the White and Blue, later breaking through for a second try later in the half. Two other rookies, Freshman Winger Elias Kalembo and Sophomore Forward Neehar Ghandi, scored their first points as Bulldogs. Led by Veteran Forward Josh Racine (1 Try), Markus Reneau (1 Try) and Rucking specialist Hank Loughlin, the Development side showed grit in a 38-10 victory.

With Ryan Vollmer and Lucas Holter unavailable, The Bulldogs welcome back Junior Alex O Neill and provide a debut for freshman Syimyk Kyshtoobaev. it is great to welcome back senior Diego Sialer, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury since the Spring tour.

Join us for a fantastic day of rugby and more as Yale takes on Brown at home on October 6th 2018. We will have a tent at the pitch, complete with food and refreshments. All friends, family, alumni, and players from both Brown and Yale are welcome.

We will also be honoring the family of Henry Wheeler, captain of the 1942 Yale squad that toured Bermuda and met with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

Rugby, tradition, and friendship on a fall day at the pitch in New Haven. What more could you ask for? Hospitality tent opens at noon, matches start at 1:00!

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW https://www.eventbrite.com/e/friends-of-yale-rugby-fall-family-weekend-tickets-50328371514

The image above dates back to 1942. A special moment in our clubs history. In this image, the Yale Captain, Henry P Wheeler, introduces his players to the Duke & Duchess of Windsor in Nassau, Bahamas. We are delighted to welcome Henrys family to Yale to celebrate his impact on our program. Come join in the fun, Family / Alumni Fall weekend, October 6th at HQ v Brown University

With the new season only around the corner, the draw for the Yale Invitational (September 1st) took place at HQ on Friday, August 11th. This is always a great week for the players to work there way back into the swing of things before the action thickens against AIC on September the 8th. You can visit our Fall Schedule by clicking HERE

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from one of the best rugby coaches in the modern game. Scott Robertson is the Head Coach of the Canterbury Crusaders, the winners of the 2017 Super Rugby Championship. Scott has 22 appearances for the All Blacks and was the Head Coach of the New Zealand U20s side that won the U20’s RWC in 2016. One of Scott’s main strengths is creating a successful team culture as we have witnessed throughout his glittering coaching career. Scott will be joined by Greg McWilliams, the Yale University director of Rugby and Mens head coach. Greg and Scott have worked together with the famous Barbarians side. Greg is also the current attack and backs coach with the USA Mens National Team, who have just come off the back of a 3-0 summer series win, beating Russia, Scotland and Canada. Scott and Greg will be joined by other guest coaches on the day. This is not to be missed.

After a comprehensive 45-0 win in the open round of the ECC. The Bulldogs now prepare for a stiff challenge fro the Pioneers. If you are in the area, drop by and support the Dawgs. The game will be streamed live. Check http://www.yalerfc.com/yrfc-live/ for updates.

Congratulations to 11 of our very own players who have been awarded with the honor of appearing on the 2017 Academic All-Ivy Men's Team. These players qualified for the honor for appearing in at least two Ivy Rugby Conference matches while also maintaining a GPA of at least 3.7. The selections were made by all 8 coaches of the Ivy Rugby Conference based on these players achievements on and off the field. These Bulldogs include: